Astilbe plant named ‘Pink Jewel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Pink Jewel’, characterized by its upright, mounded and compact plant habit; rapid growth rate; freely and uniform flowering habit; and light red purple-colored flowers arranged on arching inflorescences.

Botanical designation: Astilbe simplicifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Pink Jewel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant, botanically known as Astilbe simplicifolia, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pink Jewel’.

The new Astilbe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lijnden, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new fast-growing and compact Astilbe cultivars.

The new Astilbe originated from a chance pollination of two unknown Astilbe simplicifolia selections in 1996. The new Astilbe was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant originating from a group of open-pollinated crosses made in a controlled environment in Lijnden, The Netherlands in 1999 on the basis of its arching inflorescences and light red purple-colored flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by root divisions since 2000 in Lijnden, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Pink Jewel have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pink Jewel’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pink Jewel’ as a new and distinct Astilbe cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, mounded and compact plant habit.     -   2. Rapid growth rate.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Light red purple-colored flowers arranged on arching         inflorescences.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to the Astilbe cultivar Sprite, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lijnden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed from plants of the cultivar Sprite in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe grew faster than plants of the         cultivar Sprite.     -   2. Plants of the Astilbe and the cultivar Sprite differed in         inflorescence form and flower coloration.

Plants of the new Astilbe can also be compared to the Astilbe cultivar Inshriach Pink, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lijnden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed from plants of the cultivar Inshriach Pink in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe had darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the cultivar Inshriach Pink.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe and the cultivar Inshriach Pink         differed in inflorescence form and flower coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Astilbe. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pink Jewel’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants shown in the aforementioned photograph and used in the following description were grown in 17-cm containers under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Lijnden, The Netherlands. Plants were about one year old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 20° C. and night temperatures ranged from 2° C. to 12° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe simplicifolia cultivar Pink Jewel. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unknown selection of Astilbe             simplicifolia.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Astilbe             simplicifolia. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By root divisions.         -   Time to initiate rooting, summer.—About 30 days at 18° C.         -   Time to initiate rooting, winter.—About 40 days at 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 25 weeks at 18°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Perennial. Upright, mounded and compact plant habit;             inverted triangle. Flowering stems and leaves arise from the             roots; dense and bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous             growth habit. Freely flowering with numerous flowers on             numerous branched panicles.         -   Growth rate.—Rapid; from divisions, about 25 weeks are             required to produce fully-grown flowering plants in 17-cm             containers.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: 139A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; bi-ternately             compound. Leaf length (including petiole): About 20 cm. Leaf             width: About 15 cm. Leaflet length: About 5 cm. Leaflet             width: About 2.5 cm. Leaflet shape: Ovate to elliptic.             Leaflet apex: Acuminate to acute. Leaflet base: Cuneate to             oblique. Leaflet margin: Serrate or occasionally biserrate.             Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely             pubescent. Leaflet luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly lustrous. Leaflet venation pattern: Pinnate.             Leaflet color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 139A; venation, 146D. Developing and fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 146B; venation, close to 145B.             Petiole length: About 15 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 184A; towards the             stem, 153B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Small single flowers arranged             in arching branched panicles; flowers face upright, outward             or droop. Freely and uniformly flowering habit; about 1,000             flowers and flower buds per plant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering during the             summer in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Individual flowers last             several weeks on the plant and about one week as a cut             flower. Flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; musty, but not unpleasant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm.             Shape: Ovate to orbicular. Color: 64B.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 8 mm. Depth (height): About 4 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 4 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Ligulate to linear. Apex: Obtuse.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:             63C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 63C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 5 mm.             Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:             Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature, upper and lower             surfaces: 56D. Mature, upper and lower surfaces: 56D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             ten. Anther attachment: Basifixed. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther length: Less than 0.5 mm. Anther color: 65C. Pollen             amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 11D. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: Two. Pistil length: About 2 mm. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 63C. Style length: About             1.5 mm. Style color: Close to 63C. Ovary color: Close to             63C.         -   Seeds.—Length: Less than 0.5 mm. Diameter: Less than 0.5 mm.             Color: Light brown. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe. -   High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been     observed to tolerate temperatures of 30° C. -   Hardiness: Plants of the new Astilbe are hardy to USDA Zone 5. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named ‘Pink Jewel’, as illustrated and described. 